History

Moeche are the male lagoon shore crabs caught during the few weeks each spring when they shed their hard shell and grow a new one, leaving them entirely soft-shelled and edible whole. The fishermen of Burano and Chioggia spend April and May watching for the moeca window, which lasts roughly 6 weeks; the crabs are sold the same day at Rialto Pescheria. The canonical preparation soaks the live crabs in beaten egg for 30 minutes (they eat the egg before being killed), then deep-fries them whole. The result is a sweet-fleshed nugget eaten whole, shell and all.

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Common allergens: Shellfish, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g live moeche (lagoon soft-shell crabs)
  • 4 beaten eggs
  • Plain flour for dredging
  • 1 litre sunflower or peanut oil for frying
  • Sea salt
  • Lemon wedges to serve

Method

  1. Place the live moeche in a deep bowl with the beaten eggs. Cover and leave 30 minutes; the crabs eat the egg before they die.
  2. Lift each crab out, dredge in flour, shake off the excess.
  3. Heat the oil to 180C in a deep pan.
  4. Fry the moeche in batches of 4 to 5 for 3 minutes until golden and crisp.
  5. Drain on paper, salt immediately. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
  6. Eat the entire crab including the soft shell; the legs and claws crunch like prawn shells.

Tip from the editors. Moeche are seasonal (April-May) and never frozen; outside the window, the dish is not made.

Where to eat moeche fritte

Moeche fritte in Venice

Osteria All'Arco ★ 4.8

€ Italian

Osteria All'Arco near Rialto in San Polo serves cicchetti at €1.50 to €4 each, the canonical bacari budget meal with francobolli sandwiches and lagoon-fish.

TryCicchetti at the bar

TipSix cicchetti plus two ombre runs roughly €20 to 25 for a full meal. Closes after lunch.

Directions

Antiche Carampane ★ 4.6

€€€ ItalianSan Polo

Antiche Carampane in Venice's San Polo is the 1983 family-run seafood trattoria the Rialto fishmongers send friends to, the room with the no-tourist-menu.

OrderSpaghetti with vongole, fritto misto della laguna, sarde in saor.

TipBook a fortnight ahead. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The dining room has 10 tables, so flexibility on date is more useful than time.

Directions Book

Cantina Do Spade ★ 4.3

€ Street food

Cantina Do Spade in Venice's San Polo near Rialto is one of the city's oldest bacari, mentioned in Casanova's memoirs and now run with a counter of fried.

TryCicchetti, fried lagoon fish

TipCombines a stand-up bacaro counter with a small dining room. Try the fried moeche when in season (spring) and the polpette al sugo year-round.

Directions

Trattoria al Gatto Nero ★ 4.6

€€€ ItalianLagoon Islands

Trattoria al Gatto Nero on Burano is the 1965 Bovo family room now run by Massimiliano Bovo, the canonical lagoon-fish lunch on the colourful fishing island.

OrderRisotto di go, bigoli al nero di seppia, the mixed grilled fish.

TipBook two weeks ahead. Ferry 12 from Fondamente Nove takes 45 minutes. Closed Mondays.

Directions Book

Vini da Gigio ★ 4.5

€€ Italian

Vini da Gigio is lazzari family trattoria on calle stua in cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.

Why locals goLazzari family trattoria on Calle Stua in Cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.

TipClosed Mondays and Tuesdays. Book a week ahead. The wine cellar is the reason; ask Laura Lazzari for pairings.

Directions

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